By Carlton Tudor
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, January 8

RALEIGH, N.C. -- He's 71 years old and last won on the PGA Tour at about the same time the late Wilt Chamberlain was ending his professional basketball career.

	Palmer shot his age or better three times in 2000, including a 69 at the FleetBoston Classic in August.

That was 1973, at the Bob Hope Desert Classic, long before the birthdate of many of the 650 invited guests who watched Arnold Palmer play a nine-hole exhibition at Brier Creek (N.C.) Country Club earlier this year.

A good many more of the same spectators weren't around in 1960, when Palmer's second victory at The Masters established golf as a television staple.

But when Palmer approached his tee shot on the No. 10 hole at Brier Creek, you would have thought it was 1960 all over again and he was about to fillet the final nine holes at Augusta.

He cracked a 260-yard drive into the middle of the fairway, hitched up his tan slacks, pushed up the sleeves on his red sweater and strolled off at the quick pace that has become a trademark of the sport.

One birdie and a bogey later, he parked the army at the clubhouse with an even-par 36 and dreamed briefly of the days when he routinely sank three or more birdie putts rather than one.

"I can still hit the ball fairly well for a 34-year-old," he joked. "When I work at it, I can still hit it fairly straight and far enough to serve the purpose. But some things never change. You have to putt in order to score."

Even though Palmer still plays regularly on the Senior Tour, his days of winning titles are long gone. The 1988 Crestar Seniors Classic no doubt will be recorded as his final official victory.

But that's not to say Palmer has lost any of his love for golf. Certainly, the old Palmer enthusiasm is still there, as are the large, weathered hands, the same quick and compact backswing and the frozen head through the contact zone.

During a clinic with fans, Palmer talked freely about his love for Wake Forest University and the Atlantic Coast Conference, the state he calls his second home; his recently renewed pilot's license; and his steadfast commitment to the swing principles he has used throughout his entire career.

	“	When I work at it, I can still hit it fairly straight and far enough to serve the purpose. But some things never change. You have to putt in order to score. ”
		— Arnold Palmer

"The most important thing in the swing is keeping the head still and the eyes locked on the ball," Palmer said. "You can use any number of grips and about any kind of swing. But if you keep your head still and your eyes focused on the ball, you're going to hit it."

Although he has had some back problems over the years and doesn't make quite the same turn as he did years ago, Palmer's basic swing -- what the eternally fluid Julius Boros once described as a "vicious lash" -- is much the same as it was throughout Palmer's heyday.

Palmer's swing and sunny disposition -- and his living reminder of the game's roots -- kept the audience fixated.

Palmer clearly enjoys the memories as much as his fans. He smiled widely and laughed deeply while discussing his new 12-year endorsement contract with Callaway.

"The folks at Callaway are being very optimistic, but I plan to fulfill that contract," he said.

If so, golf will be the better for it. When it comes to making friends for his sport, Palmer's game hasn't changed at all. In that category, he's still on the leaderboard every day.